S.F. called best city to find a date

San Franciscan singles were more than three times as likely to suggest sushi as a first date as singles in other areas, a dating site said. (Laura Morton/Special to the Chronicle)

Valentine’s Day looms. And for San Franciscans who let relationships slide in favor of a fast-track career or creative fulfillment, it looms even more ominously.

Never fear: San Francisco was deemed the best dating city in the country by dating site HowAboutWe.com.

The site pairs singles by finding good matches between their proposed first-date ideas rather than personal profiles.

That pairing approach means their data may not be the most indicative — San Francisco ranked first mainly because singles who proposed dates in the city saw a 20 percent higher response rate than any other U.S. city — but it means the site has some amusing trend data about what San Franciscans think will make a good date.

“Exploring,” sushi, salad and physical activities like hiking and playing football were big first-date winners with San Franciscans. Less obvious? City singles also suggested ping-pong and bocce ball.

Can’t wait to get your table tennis on but can’t find a willing partner? Other publications have noticed that Valentine’s Day is near, too, which means you can peruse listings like the Nob Hill Gazette’s “Eligibles List” for quippy descriptions of their finest singles — or for your own amusement.